Oh, the Inner Critic

STUDIO BUZZ

Hi friends,

Being an artist is about 8 jobs folded into one. The various jobs pull me out of the studio for loads admin work, and often painting gets a spot on the calendar early in the morning or late at night. Those hours are getting more challenging as the years pass!

There is one thing I love as much as making artwork, and that is teaching…which leads me to some news about two opportunities I have worked toward for years.

This summer, I’m thrilled to start a position with an online mentorship service called Mastrius. Below is more information about the phenomenal program. It is such an honor to work with this company and I hope you’ll take a look at their programming if joining a mentor group appeals to you.

The second piece of news is a bit of a teaser - hopefully in the next newsletter I can share all the scoop about a new partnership with an upscale travel art retreat company. I mention it here to say - if you are interested in receiving information about international art retreats, will you please shoot me an email? As I develop plans, I will cater the program to the needs of artists already in my community. My hope is to offer a program and location that matches your art goals and travel dreams!

Why I teach….

With experience comes confidence, and I am finally truly confident in my teaching and workshop curriculum. There is always more to learn, evolving methods, and ways to grow. But after developing workshops, interacting with students, and passing out surveys at countless classes and workshops for the past 11 years, I am now experiencing a sense of deep satisfaction and appreciation for the ability to connect with students in a meaningful, instructive way. Thank you to all who have provided constructive feedback, allowing me to grow into the best teacher I can be.

My goal is reach students at all levels. Our class time together balances lots of technical skills while addressing important concepts of making - like the impact making has on our moods, our ideas, our perceptions, our connections to ourselves and others…which leads me to think about the single most common trait I see when teaching - one I have battled myself - a relentless inner critic who thinks like a perfectionist. Can you relate?

In order to learn the skills, to make art that soars, to experience the joy of making, we must learn how to quiet that inner critic. A constructive, educated inner critic can improve our work. A perfectionist inner critic will inevitably stymie our best efforts, even with excellent technical skill.

When the goal is something perfect, we are chasing the impossible, and inevitably fail. And then the negative energy of failure imbues our work. We feel stuck or frustrated - the opposite of how we want to feel when making. Instead of aiming for something impossible, we can do our best, bring our own views and ideas to the work, express something unique to each of us, and aim for the IMPERFECT when making.

The ensuing joy seems to live in the work, allowing it to truly connect with people. And amazingly, it allows our technical skills to improve as well because we aren’t as afraid to try and fail and try again.

So many life lessons in the making - ah, if only we would all practice making!

SPRING AND SUMMER WORKSHOPS - heading north!

Do you know anyone in Toronto? I would like to share an invitation to an Artist Talk and Collage Class I’ll lead on Monday, May 25th at the Tononto Arts & Letters Club. It will be my first visit there and I would be grateful for any connections or recommendations you have!

One spot just opened for the “The Joy of Travel Art: Drawing and Painting in Coastal Canada” June 2-7, 2026 in St. Andrews, New Brunswick. Click here for more information. You can send me a message to schedule a call or to register!

Wild Wild Line: Focus on the Face at the Truro Center for the Arts at Castle Hill in Cape Cod, MA June 15-18th

If you or anyone you know will be near Cape Cod this summer, please take a look at this class! As a newcomer at this renowned program, I hope to get a full class of wonderful participants! Click here for more information.

Looking for an online mentorship group? Join me at Mastrius!

My first cohort begins in July and I would love for you to join. Click here to learn about Mastrius and click the image above to learn about the focus of my group. It’s affordable, has proven results, and great reviews. I am so honored to join their team and hope to see you there!

MORE NEWS…

Today, Sunday the 11th, I’ll go live on Instagram (@LauraRabornArt) at 1:00 pm central time while I work on a painting for an upcoming deadline. I’ve been trying to talk myself into this - it’s way beyond my comfort zone.

It will be about 5 minutes, and I’ll focus on blocking in basic shapes at the start of a painting. Join me at 1:00 if you’re interested! If I am tech savvy enough, I’m happy to answer any questions typed into the chat. We will see how it goes!

And last but not least, a huge thank you to each of the Harbour Island Sketchbook Retreat participants! And thank you to Princess Street Gallery - planning events and working out all the retreat details with help and insight from Charles and Donna took the retreat to the next level.